Heads-up Display Patents (Class 349/11)
  • Patent number: 8195386
    Abstract: A movable-body navigation information display unit is provided. In the movable-body navigation information display unit, a driver can intuitively and accurately recognize a relation between navigation information and a real picture or a real landscape. In addition, it is possible to avoid a state that visibility of a caution-needed picture such as a pedestrian in the real picture and a real picture of a road construction site is inhibited by an image of the navigation information. An image data creating section (405) matches road shape data with a road shape model to estimate posture data. In addition, the image data creating section creates picture (image) data for accurately compositing and displaying the image of the navigation information in an appropriate position in a real picture (or in a real landscape) of a road ahead of a movable body, and displays the navigation information as a three-dimensional icon or the like. A picture display section (5) performs display based on the picture data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: National University Corporation Kumamoto University
    Inventors: Zhencheng Hu, Keiichi Uchimura
  • Publication number: 20120127381
    Abstract: The wide-angle Head-Up display design allows the increase in horizontal peripheral field of view and is based on two, three or more unified informational channels with each of them containing axis-symmetric lens collimating optical system and visualizer comprised of more than one LCD-projectors with each of them containing LCD-matrix and tricolor illuminator, projection lens and integrated for all projectors the transparent-diffusive screen intended for representation of primary images and is located at the object-side focal plane of channel collimating optical system and moreover the primary images are located on the screen so that their adjacent horizontal boundaries are stitched with small overlap in order to ensure the uninterrupted representation of resulting image. The channels' axes are horizontally shifted relative to each other so that adjacent boundaries of peripheral fields of view for the neighboring channels are coincided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Matvey Lvovskiy, Alexander Efros, Ilya Lipkind
  • Patent number: 8179604
    Abstract: In accordance with example embodiments, a wearable marker may be used for passive interaction with a wearable computing device. A wearable marker may take the form of a ring, a bracelet, an artificial fingernail configured to be affixed to a fingernail, a decal configured to be affixed to a fingernail, or a glove, among other possible wearable items. A wearable marker may further include an infrared (IR) reflective surface in the form of a surface pattern that is substantially optically invisible. A wearable computing device may include a head-mounted display (HMD) equipped with an IR camera device capable of detecting IR radiation reflected from the surface pattern on a wearable marker. The HMD and the IR camera device can function together to track position and motion of the wearable marker via reflection, and by doing so can recognize known patterns of motion that correspond to known hand gestures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Ricardo Prada Gomez, Liang-Yu Chi
  • Patent number: 8179236
    Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective reflective element. The mirror system includes a video display device at a casing of the mirror assembly rearward of the transflective reflective element, with the video display device having a video screen and a plurality of individual white light emitting light sources operable for backlighting the video screen. The intensity of light emitted by the white light emitting light sources is variable responsive to detection of light by at least one photosensor. The video screen may be operable to display video images captured by a rear back-up camera of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle. Light emanating from the white light emitting light emitting diodes may pass through a brightness enhancement film and a light diffuser to be incident at a transflective reflector of a second substrate of the mirror assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew D. Weller, Mark L. Larson, Ian A. McCabe, Niall R. Lynam, Rodney K. Blank, Joseph P. McCaw, John T. Uken
  • Patent number: 8174767
    Abstract: The present invention provides a viewfinder, characterized by comprising a reflection type display device on which an object image is displayed, an eyepiece optical system having a front group and a rear group, an illumination optical system for illuminating the reflection type display device and an optical device for putting an optical path taken by the illumination optical system over an optical path from said reflection type display device to the eyepiece optical system at a position of the widest of lens-to-lens spaces in the eyepiece optical system. The eyepiece optical system is located between the reflection type display device and an eye point, and satisfies the following condition (1): 0.1<Y/Dm<1??(1) where Dm is the widest lens-to-lens space, and Y is the length of the reflection type display device from the center to one side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ayako Asakura, Hisashi Goto
  • Publication number: 20120099032
    Abstract: A head-up display device for projecting an image on a display screen includes: a liquid crystal display element for generating an original image; a light source for emitting light toward the liquid crystal display element; a reflection mirror for reflecting a light image of the original image passing through the liquid crystal display element and for projecting the light image on the display screen; and a concave cylindrical lens having a concave surface and disposed between the liquid crystal display element and the reflection mirror. The concave surface has a curved shape along with x axis of three-dimensional coordinates of the concave cylindrical lens. The concave surface extends along with y axis. The concave surface is rotated around the x axis so that z axis of the concave surface is tilted from an optical axis from the light source to the reflection mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8159417
    Abstract: An image display device includes: a display part, a measuring instrument, a determination unit, a detection unit, a decision unit, and a notification processing unit. The display part allows a user to visually recognize a display image by projecting an image light corresponding to the display image on an eye of the user in a state where some ambient light reaches at least either one of eyes of the user. The measuring instrument measures brightness of the ambient light. The determination unit determines brightness of the display image. The detection unit detects the difference between the brightness of the ambient light and the brightness of the display image. The decision unit decides timing of temporarily stopping the use of the display part. The notification processing unit performs notification which prompts the user to stop the use of the display part at the timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nakashima
  • Patent number: 8159751
    Abstract: Image display device having an image source generating an image, a beam splitter positioned at forty five degrees to the main optical path, to project and focus the image generated by the image source into the entrance pupil of the human eye, two achromatic standard doublet lenses positioned perpendicularly to the main optical path and placed between the image source and the beam splitter, and configured to amplify, collimate, and correct optical aberrations of said image, wherein the image source, beam splitter and the doublet lenses are in an on-axis configuration and the image display device comprises two mounting brackets parallel to the main optical axis, each having an extremity part holding an edge of the beam splitter and the other extremity pivotally attached to a housing, allowing the brackets and beam splitter to rotate in an axis perpendicular to the main optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Inventor: Miguel Marques Martins
  • Patent number: 8107023
    Abstract: A projection display which includes first and second waveguide elements, wherein the first waveguide element has a two input regions for injecting image bearing light into the first waveguide element. In this manner, the total field of view of the image to be displayed at the second waveguide element is divided into two sub-images prior to injection of one sub-image into one input region and the other sub-image into the other input region of the first waveguide element. This results in a smaller first waveguide element, thereby reducing obscuration of an observers view of a forward scene over which to the image to be displayed is overlaid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: BAE Systems PLC
    Inventors: Michael D Simmonds, Louahab Noui
  • Patent number: 8107780
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a display which presents an image along a line of sight of an observer, such that the image is overlaid on a real world scene has a first waveguide and an image source device to inject the image into the first waveguide. The first waveguide has a first grating to direct the image internally and to output the image from the first waveguide. A second waveguide has a coupling grating to receive the image from the first waveguide and to direct the image along the second waveguide. The second waveguide has an exit grating to diffract the received image out of the second waveguide towards the observer. The exit grating diffracts the image out of the second waveguide off axis to a normal axis of the second waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: BAE Systems PLC
    Inventor: Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 8094090
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system which may allow a user to visualize and/or monitor motor activities during, e.g., rehabilitation exercises and/or athletic training. The system may include a camera that may be configured to capture images of a user performing a motor activity. The system may also include a computer configured to receive the captured images from the camera while the user is performing the motor activity. The computer may be further configured to provide static and dynamic augmentation of the captured images. The system may further include a display for the user. The display may be configured to receive the augmented captured images from the computer and to display the augmented captured images to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: James Brian Fisher, Fred Henry Previc
  • Patent number: 8089568
    Abstract: A head up display (HUD) includes an image source, a first lens, a second lens, a focusing mirror, a polarizing beam splitter, a second beam splitter and a combiner. The first lens is disposed between the image source and polarizing beam splitter. The second lens is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter and the second beam splitter. The polarizing beam splitter is disposed between the first lens, the mirror, and the second lens. The optical system for the HUD forms an intermediate image between the second lens and the second beam splitter. The intermediate image is located at the focal point of the curved combiner, and therefore the curved combiner collimates the display light upon reflection. The HUD can be compact and have a wide field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Brown, Robert B. Wood, Kurt A. Stahl
  • Patent number: 8064137
    Abstract: An optical system that projects a real image to a location in free space and includes one or more features located along the optical path that enhance the viewability of the real image. The optical system includes a converging element for converging a portion of source light so as to form the real image. One viewability-enhancing feature is the use of a broadband reflector-polarizer having high transmitting and reflecting efficiencies. Another viewability-enhancing feature is the use of polarizing elements having substantially matched bandwidth responses and/or comprising an achromatic design. An additional viewability-enhancing feature is the use of a wide-view film to increase the viewing angle of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: PC Mirage, LLC
    Inventor: Bruce D. Dike
  • Patent number: 8012385
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating a color filter for an LCD device. A method of fabricating a color filter uses a mold (PDMS mold) having a plurality of grooves. Particularly, the mold (PDMS mold) is attached to a substrate such that the plurality of grooves face into the substrate. When a color resin is dropped into a side opening of each groove, the color resin is injected into each groove of the mold (PDMS mold) by a capillary force. After the mold (PDMS mold) having the injected color resin is cured, the mold (PDMS mold) is detached from the substrate and a color filter pattern is formed at a desired position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-Ook Kim
  • Patent number: 7999760
    Abstract: A method is provided for a distortion-free display of image elements, which are composed of computer-generated pixels and are reflected on a non-planar reflective surface, in particular a windshield of a motor vehicle. According to this method, pre-distorted image data are calculated by a computer unit in an operating phase as a function of the distortion properties of the reflective surface from the original image data of the image elements in accordance with the display-related pre-distortion parameters and are transferred to a display unit, which projects the image elements onto the reflective surface. In order to obtain the display-related pre-distortion parameters, at least one image element is provided, pre-distorted and projected in the form of original image data in a calibration phase in a procedure that is analogous to the operating phase; and the image data resulting from the projection are recorded using a camera and image processing, and compared with the original image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Juergen Giegold, Sebastian Loh, Thomas Mangold, Martin Pinsker
  • Publication number: 20110141381
    Abstract: A vehicular rearview assembly comprising a light source illuminating the mirror system within the housing of the assembly. The light source is a layered structure including generally co-extensive optical elements such as a light-guiding element that accepts light from light emitters and distributes this light along an area that is not transverse with respect to a display of the assembly. Light distributed and outcoupled through the light-guiding element illuminates the whole display, while radiation from other emitters may traverse the light-guiding element in order to highlight respectively corresponding segments of the display. The display may be configured in a spatially-segmented fashion to increase brightness of displayed indicia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Danny L Minikey, JR., Ethan J. Lee, John A. VanderPloeg, William L. Tonar
  • Patent number: 7956940
    Abstract: A display system includes a liquid crystal display (10) including a backlight (3), a liquid crystal display panel (1), and a viewing angle control panel (2) for controlling the viewing angle of the display panel (1), the display system causing the amount of external light reflected by the liquid crystal display (10) to be relatively larger than the amount of light leaked from the backlight (3) onto the liquid crystal display panel (1). This provides a display system having an enhanced blocking effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Sakai, Tsuyoshi Okazaki, Katsuhiko Morishita, Yoshiharu Kataoka, Chikanori Tsukamura, Takahiro Sasaki, Dai Chiba
  • Publication number: 20110096100
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and apparatus directed toward using a contact lens and deflection optics to process display information and non-display information. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel assembly is provided, comprising: a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted; a reflector disposed on the transparent substrate; and a display panel aimed toward the reflector and substantially away from a human visual system, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted from the display panel toward the human visual system. The reflector may comprise a narrow band reflector or a polarization reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventor: Randall Sprague
  • Patent number: 7932960
    Abstract: An system for providing uniform and focused backlighting to a liquid crystal display (LCD) can be provided. The system can include at least one light source that emits light rays. The system can include at least one column having a first end positioned adjacent to the at least one light source, a second end adapted to be positioned adjacent to the LCD and a plurality of walls. The system can include an optical receptor coupled to the first end of the at least one column, which can include an angled side wall that can be coupled to the walls of the at least one column. The light rays from the at least one light source can be totally internally reflected by the angled side wall and walls to create at least one virtual light source to backlight the LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Ching Fong
  • Patent number: 7920225
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus with a protective panel, includes a display device 3 having a display section 3A, an enclosure 2 having a display window 2A which is open in one direction and mounts therein the display device 3 so as to expose the display section 5A to the outside, a protective panel 4 disposed at the display window 2A so as to cover the display section 3A from the outside; and a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 14 interposed between a movable portion M including at least the protective panel 4 of the protective panel 4 and the display device 3 and a frame-like support portion 2b defined by a surface of the enclosure 2 within the display window 2A, so as to prevent intrusion of foreign substance to the interior of the enclosure 2 through the display window 2A, the rubber detecting a depressing operation on the movable portion M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Nissha Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nishikawa, Yoshihiro Kai, Yuichiro Takai
  • Patent number: 7916250
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal module and a touch panel section arranged in front of the liquid crystal module. There is a space between the liquid crystal module and the touch panel section, and a layer of air is present in the space. The liquid crystal module has a ?/4 plate on the front side. The touch panel section includes a polarization plate and ?/4 plate which are arranged on the front side of a touch panel in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kikuchi, Masumi Kubo, Takayuki Natsume
  • Publication number: 20110058040
    Abstract: An interior rearview information mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element, and includes an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. The information display is disposed in the mirror housing rearward of the reflective element, and information displayed by the information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through the reflective element when the information display is displaying information. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and the forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: DONNELLY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew D. Weller, Rodney K. Blank, Kenneth L. Schierbeek, Kenneth Schofield, Niall R. Lynam, Troy O. Cooprider
  • Patent number: 7889152
    Abstract: A direct viewing type stereoscopic image display apparatus which can remove a moiré pattern is provided. The direct viewing type stereoscopic image display apparatus includes: a first memory which has a first field image signal divided from an image signal of one frame; a second memory which has a second field image signal divided from the image signal of one frame; a display device which forms a first field image and a second field image according to the first field image signal and the second field image signal; an image shift unit which sequentially shifts the first field image and the second field image; and a viewing zone dividing unit which divides the viewing zones of the first field image and the second field image. Thereby, the second field image is shifted from the first field image by a predetermined distance and thus a moiré pattern is removed and image quality is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-hee Kim, Kun-ho Cho, Sung-yong Jung
  • Patent number: 7868330
    Abstract: An organic electro luminescence display device having a plurality of anode electrodes which are disposed in parallel to a substrate, formed of a transparent conductive material and electrically separated from each other; a first conductive light shielding pattern formed along a first side of each of the anode electrodes; and a second conductive light shielding pattern formed along a second side of each of the anode electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Chun Tak Lee
  • Patent number: 7855755
    Abstract: A video mirror system for a vehicle comprising an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective electro-optic reflective element that transmits at least about ten percent of visible light incident thereon and reflects at least about sixty percent of visible light incident thereon. A display module is disposed at a rear of the transflective electro-optic reflective element and comprises a plurality of individual light sources. A thermally conductive element may be in substantial thermal contact with the display module and is exposed at a rear casing portion of the mirror assembly so as to draw heat generated by the display module away from the display module and to the exterior of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The exposure of the thermally conductive element at the rear casing portion may be substantially not discernible to a viewer viewing the rear casing portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew D. Weller, Mark L. Larson, Ian A. McCabe, Niall R. Lynam, Rodney K. Blank, Joseph P. McCaw, John T. Uken
  • Patent number: 7808714
    Abstract: Provided is an image providing apparatus having connecting member connecting a head set and optical housing capable of adjusting displacement of the optical housing in the vertical direction to the eyeball of the observer when adjusting the eye-relief of the optical housing to the eyeball of the observer. The ball joint has ball portions respectively on two ends thereof, on one of the ends (upper ends) is provided to the supporting member side capable of maintaining a posture thereof, and the ball portion on another ends (lower ends) is provided to the optical housing side for maintaining a posture thereof. The connecting member has a first member and a second member, the first member is connected to the second member so as to be movable and capable of maintaining a posture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahisa Ando
  • Publication number: 20100238365
    Abstract: An information display 100 according to the present invention, comprising a housing 60 having an opening 65, a display member 10 accommodated within the housing 60, a translucent protective member 70 covering the opening 65 of the housing 60 and allowing a display provided by the display member 10 to be visible, and a magnet 80 disposed within the housing 60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohji Hisakawa
  • Publication number: 20100238527
    Abstract: An electroholographic display system (800, 900) for displaying a holographic image, includes a coherent light source (830, 930) producing a coherent, collimated, light beam; a spatial light modulator (SLM) (820, 920) adapted to receive and spatially modulate the coherent, collimated, light beam to produce therefrom a spatially modulated light beam including first portions having a first polarization and second portions having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization; and a processor and driver unit (810, 910) adapted to generate hologram data representing a holographic image and to apply appropriate voltages to the pixels of the SLM to cause the SLM to modulate the coherent collimated light beam with the hologram data. The spatially modulated light beam is projected to an image plane to produce the holographic image including the first portions having the first polarization and the second portions having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventors: Alok Govil, Lucian Remus Albu
  • Publication number: 20100225833
    Abstract: A head-up display includes an image-generating device for generating an image and an optical system for projecting the image onto a windshield of a vehicle. A lighting system illuminates the image-generating device. The lighting system includes at least one light source, downstream of which a light-mixing geometry is disposed. The light-mixing geometry has boundary surfaces, each of which has light-reflecting inner sides, in order to homogenize the light of the at least one light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter METHE, Felix Linke, Peter Pogany
  • Patent number: 7777819
    Abstract: A helmet mounted display 30 includes a display source 31 arranged to be directly imaged by a primary relay optical arrangement 32 having relay optical elements 33A, 33B and 33C. Light exiting the primary relay optical arrangement 32 indicated by ray traces 34A, 34B and 34C continue towards a visor 35 which is arranged to reflect incident light to a exit pupil located in a convenient position for a viewer 36. The display source 31 includes a light source, beam splitter, reflective liquid crystal display and a display source relay optical arrangement to provide an output image at an output diffuser screen. The image at the output screen is then directly imaged by the primary relay optical arrangement 32. Should the reflective liquid crystal display require modification or replacement with a newer model, then the display source 31 can be redesigned to accommodate the new reflective liquid crystal display rather than re-engineering the primary relay optical arrangement 32 at greater expense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventor: Michael David Simmonds
  • Publication number: 20100091202
    Abstract: A glass fibre reinforced plastic substrate provides the mechanical strength and thermal properties for use e.g. in flat display devices. There is a trend towards flat display devices comprising flexible displays. Such display devices also need flexible substrates, and a method to produce such flexible substrates cost effectively. To make such flexible display by conventional manufacturing technologies that have been applied to produce the LCD displays, glass substrates need to be replaced with elastic substrate materials that are deformable even at room temperatures. The elastic substrate must have mechanical durability to offer flexibility desired. Now there is developed a method for producing a glass fibre reinforced plastic substrate so that the glass fibres and binding material are arranged to form a layer with a certain content of glass fibres and then the layer is arranged to be pressed to a thickness that is desirable to the substrate sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventor: Toni P. Östergård
  • Patent number: 7688399
    Abstract: An image display apparatus including a light source unit, a liquid crystal display panel, an illumination optical system leading light from the light source unit to the liquid crystal display panel, and a display optical system leading light from the liquid crystal display panel to an observer. The illumination optical system and the display optical system share an optical surface having dielectric multilayer films and being concave toward the liquid crystal display panel on a plane including a center ray corresponding to an angle of view. The optical surface reflects light from the light source unit for leading the light to the liquid crystal display panel while transmitting light reflected from the liquid crystal display panel. On the plane including the center ray, the brightness of the light-emitting surface of the light source unit is reduced toward the optical surface smaller than that in the remote from the optical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20100066925
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of a head up display according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display information generating module which generates information that should be projected, a combiner which guides the information that is generated by the display information generating module and should be displayed to a predetermined position, a light adjustment control module which changes a transmitted light amount of the combiner based on brightness of a background and front image detecting module which detects brightness of the background to set the transmitted light amount of the combiner by using the light adjustment control module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Osamu Nagahara, Takato Katagiri, Haruhiko Okumura, Takashi Sasaki, Aira Hotta, Kazuo Horiuchi, Masatoshi Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Hagiwara, Toshiaki Matsubayashi
  • Publication number: 20100066926
    Abstract: In a reflective LCD, a liquid crystal element has a back surface reflection light reducer. The back surface reflection light reducer may be a back surface reflection prevention coating provided on the air-side surface of a liquid crystal sealing base member as a second base member, or may be an inclined surface which is the air-side surface of the second base member inclined relative to the reflective surface of the LCD. When the back surface reflection light reducer is a back surface reflection prevention coating, the image light emerging from white-displaying pixels is hardly reflected on a back surface in the liquid crystal sealing base member, is extracted through the liquid crystal sealing base member to the air side, and is directed through an observation optical system to the optical pupil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventor: Yasushi Tanijiri
  • Publication number: 20100046059
    Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a reflective element having a transparent substrate and a multi-zone mirror reflector established at a surface thereof. The mirror reflector includes at least a first zone and a second zone, and wherein at least one metallic reflective layer is commonly established at the surface and across the first and second zones of the mirror reflector. A display device is disposed behind the second zone of the mirror reflector and, when the display device is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through the second zone of the mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle. The second zone has a degree of transmissivity of light therethrough that is greater than a degree of transmissivity of light through the first zone of the mirror reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Ian A. McCabe, Hamid Habibi, Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 7667783
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and devices for head mounted stereoscopic 3-D display devices using the tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array eye to produce eye accommodation information. A liquid crystal display panel displays stereoscopic images and uses tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array to change the diopter of the display pixels to provide eye accommodation information. The head mounted display device includes a planar display screen, planar tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array and planar black mask. The display device may optionally include a bias lens. In an embodiment, the display device also includes a backlight and a prism sheet for displaying the images on the display screen. The display screen, tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array, black mask and optional backlight and prism may be flat or curved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., Toppoly Optoelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Qi Hong, Ruibo Lu, Thomas Xinzhang Wu, Shin-Tson Wu
  • Patent number: 7656585
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an optical relay comprises a partially-reflective-coated Fresnel lens or similar low-profile lens such as a diffractive lens or a holographic lens having a first index of refraction and a filler medium having a second index of refraction and being disposed adjacent to the Fresnel lens. The optical relay enables the optical power of the Fresnel or similar low-profile lens embedded within the two layers to influence a beam that is reflected from the optical relay while allowing transmitted light to experience little or no influence from the embedded lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Karlton D. Powell, Mark O. Freeman, David Scott Wright
  • Patent number: 7652825
    Abstract: A display includes a case and a display source received in the case, and allows a virtual image of an image displayed on the display source projected on a windshield of a vehicle through an opening of the case to be superimposed on a foreground image through the windshield which is visually recognized at an eye point of the vehicle. A cover for the display is configured to prevent foreign particles from entering an inside of the case through the opening, and allows the image projected from the display source to pass therethrough. The cover has substantially a wedge cross section so as to align a substantially straight light path of direct light from an arbitrary point on the display source through the cover without reflection with a reflected light path of reflected light from the arbitrary point and reflected twice on inner surfaces of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Go Nakamura, Kunimitsu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20100002154
    Abstract: An image display system and associated method for image displaying The system includes an image source configured to generate image light, projection optics configured to project the image light, and a polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to the projection optics and configured to propagate into a first optical path first polarized light having a first polarization and to propagate into a second optical path second polarized light having a second polarization The system includes a quarter wave converter disposed in the first optical path and configured to rotate the first polarization by a quarter phase as the first polarized light first passes through the quarter wave converter, and includes a reflective screen disposed in the first optical path and configured to reflect rotated first polarized light from the quarter wave converter back through the quarter wave converter for further quarter phase rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: The AZ Bd of Regents on Behalf of the Univ. of AZ
    Inventor: Hong Hua
  • Patent number: 7643215
    Abstract: An external mounting type head up display device for a vehicle, which can be mounted irrespective of kind of vehicle, is disclosed. The head up display device includes a display unit to convert a signal into an image and output the image, an optical element decentered with respect to an optical axis of the display unit, the optical element magnifying the image and transmitting the image, and a combiner provided in front of a driver to provide the driver with the transmitted magnified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Chul Shin, Young Woon Kim
  • Publication number: 20090322972
    Abstract: An optical unit 100 includes: a liquid crystal panel 110 configured to emit image light; a diaphragm 130 having a pin hole 131 at a focal position where the image light emitted from the liquid crystal panel 110 is focused; a PBS film 140 having a tilt of approximately 45° with respect to an optical axis of the image light passed through the pin hole 131; a ¼?-retardation film 150 having a tilt of approximately 90° with respect to the optical axis of the image light passed through the pin hole 131 and being configured to convert the polarization state of the image light passed through the pin hole 131 from linear polarization to circular polarization; a concave mirror 160 configured to reflect the image light transmitted through the ¼?-retardation film 150 toward the ¼?-retardation film 150; and an eyepiece lens 200 configured to focus the image light reflected by the concave mirror 160 on the eyeball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takahisa Ando
  • Patent number: 7626562
    Abstract: An image display apparatus attachable to an eyeball includes: a display unit including on a curved surface a plurality of display areas for displaying images; a lens array unit integrated with the display unit, the lens array unit having lenses corresponding to the respective display areas, each lens allowing light rays of an image in the corresponding display area to pass through; a lubricating member formed on the display unit such that the lubricating member and the lens array unit are arranged on opposite sides of the display unit, the lubricating member permitting eyelids in contact with the apparatus to smoothly move; and a protecting member formed on the lens array unit such that the protecting member and the display unit are arranged on opposite sides of the lens array unit, the protecting member being made of a light-transmissive material for protecting an eyeball in contact with the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7623089
    Abstract: A stereo image display device includes an image display unit for displaying a parallactic image having a right-eye image and a left-eye image on a display plane, a parallactic image selecting unit for making only the right-eye image of the parallactic image reach the right eye of a viewer and making only the left-eye image of the parallactic image reach the left eye of the viewer to thereby make the viewer view a stereo image, an eye fatigue degree detecting unit for detecting the eye fatigue degree of the viewer, and an eye fatigue relaxation processing unit for carrying out eye fatigue relaxation processing for relaxing the eye fatigue of the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shigemi Sato
  • Patent number: 7616382
    Abstract: The image observation apparatus includes a first image-forming element and a second image-forming element each of which forms an original image, and an optical system configured to introduce light fluxes from the first and second image-forming elements to an exit pupil position of the optical system where an eye of an observer is placed. The optical system includes an optical surface as a single surface that reflects the light flux from the first image-forming element and transmits the light flux from the second image-forming element. The first image-forming element and the second image-forming element respectively form a first original image and a second original image that correspond to different viewing fields from the exit pupil position. The apparatus combines plural original images to enable observation of one combined image and that can suppress generation of light scattering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutaka Inoguchi, Shoichi Yamazaki, Kenichi Saito, Motomi Tsuyuki, Masakazu Tohara
  • Patent number: 7605981
    Abstract: A display unit which displays a plurality of objects viewed as being located at different depthwise positions by the viewer so as to exhibit an image with depthwise feeling, includes: a single display portion including a far-distant display zone and a near-distant display zone, a polarized beam splitting element in front of the near-distant display zone, a polarized beam changing element in front of the far-distant display zone, and a total reflection mirror for reflecting an image beam emitted from the far-distant display zone, onto the polarized beam splitting element. An image beam emitted from the far-distant display zone is transmitted through the polarized beam changing element, then is reflected at the total reflection mirror, and thereafter is reflected by the polarized beam splitting element before it is viewed by the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Adachi, Osamu Itou, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 7602450
    Abstract: A heads-up display system includes a liquid crystal display unit that can change optical characteristics in accordance with a video signal. The light modulated by the liquid crystal display unit is projected on a surface of a transparent plate that can reflect the light so as to realize a projection display. The light projected on the transparent plate is polarized light having a transmission axis extending in a direction parallel to a line defining the center with respect to incident light and reflective light of the transparent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Koma, Masashi Mitsui
  • Patent number: 7599012
    Abstract: In the rear of a liquid crystal display arranged with an inclination to a line of sight reflected by a concave mirror, a backlight and a focusing lens member are arranged in such a manner that the backlight and the focusing lens member are positioned on a plane perpendicular to the line of sight reflected by the concave mirror, and the focusing lens member focuses beams of illumination light from the backlight in such a manner that the beams of illumination light stays within a range of the liquid crystal display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Go Nakamura, Tetsuya Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20090225242
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes pixels each including a liquid crystal and a pixel electrode and a common electrode that are used for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal, a display unit in which a plurality of the pixels is disposed in a matrix shape, and even light sources. The pixels are driven in accordance with sequential light emission of the even light sources, and the application direction of a voltage for driving the liquid crystal is changed for each of vertical scanning periods corresponding to the number of the even light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masatoshi SATO
  • Patent number: 7586121
    Abstract: An electroluminescence (EL) device includes a substrate and a plurality of pixels formed on the substrate. Each pixel includes a first area including at least a first capacitor and a second capacitor, the first capacitor including a first conductive layer, a first dielectric layer over the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer over the first dielectric layer, and the second capacitor including the second conductive layer, a second dielectric layer over the second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer over the second dielectric layer, and a second area including a first semiconductor layer formed on the substrate, a first gate oxide layer over the first semiconductor layer, and a fourth conductive layer over the first gate oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventor: Wein-Town Sun
  • Publication number: 20090185087
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: pixels which each include a liquid crystal, a pixel electrode, and a common electrode, the pixel electrode and the common electrode applying voltage to the liquid crystal; a display unit in which the plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix shape; and a plurality of light sources. The voltage applied to the liquid crystal is adjusted by varying an intensity of voltage applied to the common electrode of the pixels in accordance with light radiated by the plurality of light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: EPSON IMAGING DEVICES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masatoshi SATO